Dispensing cabinet



March .22, 1927.

R. C. CURTIS DISPENSING CABINET 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 20. 1926 We@ attorneys.

March 22 1927 R. c. CURTIS DIsPENsING CABINET 2 sheets-sheet '2 Filed Jan. 20. 1926 lsa/6 (apr/s Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

unirse STATES RENE C. CURTIS, F MARTINEZ, CALIFORNIA.

DISPENSING CABINET.

Application filed January 20, 1926. SeraI No. 82,548.

lhis invention relates to vending cases or cabinets. l

An object oiE my invention is the provision of a vending cabinetin which the packages are disp-ensed in the order in which they are put in so that comparatively old supply is sold before the latest supply.

Another object of my invention is the provision ot a vending cabinet in which the displays are placed in front of, and separate from, the corresponding stacks and. both embodied in or constructed on the door of the cabinet.

The cabinet hereinafter described, having been invented primarily as a dispensing cabinet for cigarettes, it may be mentioned that cigarette packages are frequently stacked in pigeonholes by theretailer, the

front package in each pigeonhole indicating the brand ot cigarettes therein.

For the sake of appearancethe dealer desires to keep every pigeonhole fully stacked. This requires him, every time he sells a package, to go to his larger stock for a package of the kind just sold and put it in the place ot the latter. Not only does this method of retailing entail much waste ot labor but, as will be readily seen, the second or third package from the front will at times be sold after they are too old to be acceptable to the customer. Such may happen when acustomer buys two or more packages at a time of the same brand of cigarettes, or when two or more packages are sold in quick succession from the same pigeonhole.

In the cabinet ot' my invention, however, the packages that are lirst placed in the dispensing compartments are the irst to be sold; furthermore the stack in the cabinet need not be replenished whenever a single package of cigarettes is sold, since all except one or two of the packages of each brand are out ot' sight of the customer.

@ther objects and advantages will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art. Y

In the drawings which illustrate my inventionw Figure 1 is a front elevation of a dispensing cabinet and fragment-ary similar cabinets above and below the cabinet shown in full.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the cabinet shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a section taken on the lino 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 otl Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a plan view similar to that shown in Figure 2 except that the door of the cabinet in this view is open, whereas in Figure 2 the door is shown closed.

Referring to the drawings for more detailed description thereof, the dispensing cabinet comprises a bottom 7, a back 8, a top 9, sides and 11 and a door 12, hinged to the side 10, having at positions 13 a knob 14. It will be noticed that the door 12 does not entirely close ,the cabinet, but extends downwardly to the position 15, the purpose oit which construction will hereinafter be apparent.

The upper portion oit the door is hollow, and in this hollow space are disposed spaced parallel, vertical partitions 17, which with the rear wall 18 ot the door and a panevotl glass 19 in front of the back 18, form `compartments 20 shown in Figures 1 and 3 as being slightly greater in width than the width ot two superimposed packages of cigarettes 21. Different brands of cigarettes may be placed in each compartment 2O for display purposes only. The packages may be readily placed in the compartments 2O as the latter extend to the top of the door and are open. y

Chutes are constructed on the back of the door there being a chute directly in back of the compartments 20. These chutes are numbered 23 and are formed by vertical partitions 24 which are in alignment with the partitions 17, which form compartments 20, adapted to receive display packages. The chutes 23 are adapted to receive stacks of cigarette packages which are to be vended. It will be noted that the partitions 24 eX- tend below the door 12. Transversely to the rear edgesof the partitions 24 are disposed members 25 which each extend to either side of their respect-ive partitions, thus forming means for retaining the cigarette packages in their chutes.

Transversely to and at the` bottoms of the partitions 24, are secured members 27 which each extend to either side of their respective partitions 24. The members 27 it will be readily seen, prevent the stacks of cigarettes from falling out of Vtheir respective chutes.

It will be noted that the members do not' extend. as far back" as the rear wall 8 of the cabinet, and it will also be noticed that the stacleretaining members 27 are above the bottom 7 of the cabinet, The space between the bottom 7 of the cabinet 'and the members 27 is sufficient to allow ofthe hand being placed therein, so that the lingers of a hand may be extended to the rear of the vertical members 25 and there be employed to push forwardly'froma chute the bottom package of cigarettes. When the bottom package of a stack has been withdrawn, the remaining packages readily fall downwardly until the th'en last package comes into contact with the members 27.

Itwill be readily appreciated that if desired another row of chutes may be built and disposed back of the chutes 23 herein shown and described, and may extend to a point below the latter chutes.

It will be readily seen from the foregoing description and the vc lrawin-gs accompanying the same that when the two lowermost packages of a stack are exposed to the view of the Vvcustomer7 which feature allows packages to be withdrawn from a stack until only two are left; while as far as the customer is conbefried, the chute seems to be full. It will ous changes; and I reserve the right to employ such as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

l. In an article of the character described, a casing, a door closing the upper portion of said casing, fa 'row of straight vertical chutes on the back of said door and extending below the door but terminating above the bottom of said casing, strips at the lower ends of said chutes 'for holding packages in said chutes, said casing being open in the lower part thereof so that a hand may reach into said casing under said door, there being a s )ace between the back of the chutes and the back of the casing large enough fora hand to engage the back of the lowest package in a chute and slidably p-ull it therefrom.

2. In an article of the character described, a casing, a door closing they upper portion of said casing, a row of straight vertical chutes on the back ofsaid door and extending below the door but terminating above the bottom of said casing, strips at the lower ends of said 'chutes for holding packages in said chutes, said casing being open in the lower part thereof so that a hand may reach into said casing under said door, there being a space between the back of the chutes and the back of the casing large enough for a hand to engage the back of the lowest package in a chute and slidably pull it therefrom, said door being provided at its front with closed compartments, one for each said chute, and adapted to be filled with dummy packages of the goods displayed in its corresponding chute, each said compartment having a transparent front.

RENE c. cURTrs. 

